Business Development

Sierra Sierra · AI Frontier · San Francisco, CA · Partnerships

This role is focused on business development and partnerships for an AI platform company. The Business Development Lead will be responsible for identifying, sourcing, and executing partnerships with key industry players and technology platforms, developing alliances and distribution channels, collaborating with Sales and Marketing on go-to-market strategies, and gathering market intelligence to inform product and GTM decisions. The role requires experience in business development and partnerships in the tech industry, with a preference for experience in high-growth AI or enterprise SaaS startups.

What you'd actually do

  1. Identify, source, and execute partnerships with key industry players and technology platforms
  2. Experiment with and develop alliances and distribution channels beyond direct sales
  3. Work closely with Sales and Marketing to support GTM efforts through partnerships and ecosystem-driven initiatives
  4. Gather partner and customer insights to inform product and GTM decisions
  5. Support exploration of new industries, use cases, and geographies through hands-on research and partner engagement

Skills

Required

  • Business development
  • Partnerships
  • Deal structuring
  • Relationship management
  • Go-to-market strategy
  • Market intelligence
  • Sales collaboration
  • Marketing collaboration

Nice to have

  • High-growth AI startup experience
  • Enterprise SaaS startup experience
  • Financial services expertise
  • Healthcare expertise
  • Telecommunications expertise
  • Media expertise
  • Travel expertise
  • Transportation and hospitality expertise
  • Retail and consumer goods expertise
  • Technology sector expertise
  • Ecosystem partnership structuring and management

What the JD emphasized

  • 8+ years of experience in business development, partnerships, or related roles in tech
  • Demonstrated success sourcing, structuring, and closing complex, high-impact partnerships
  • Comfort building and sustaining relationships with senior executives and decision-makers
  • Analytical and execution-oriented mindset with the ability to assess opportunities and act independently
  • Ability to thrive in ambiguity and operate autonomously in a fast-moving startup environment
  • Prior experience at a high-growth AI or enterprise SaaS startup